Blazers rewind: 'Our identity is starting to come out'

"We are starting to be the same team every night. I think our identity is starting to come out, and that is playing together, never quitting and, when adversity hits, we are always huddling up, saying, 'We're good, we're good. We're down two? Hey, we're goooood.' And we're not just saying it. We believe it. It's a confidence." Brandon Roy

Thumbs up
Who else? Rudy Fernandez. The rookie sensation scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, hitting all five of his shots. He also had three rebounds and one assist in the quarter, which began with the Blazers trailing 75-73. The 25 points are a career high for the Spaniard, who is averaging 15.4 points and 29 minutes.

Thumbs down
Although his statistics (14 points, seven rebounds) didn't show it, LaMarcus Aldridge played one of his worst games as a professional. He missed three dunks, which contributed to his 6 for 17 shooting night, and went 2 of 5 from the free throw line. "Just one of those nights," he said.

Porter calls Portland jersey retirement 'special'
Former Blazers great Terry Porter, who will have his No.30 jersey retired by the team on Dec.16 when the Blazers play Sacramento at the Rose Garden, reflected on the honor Wednesday night in Phoenix, where he is coach of the Suns.

"It's going to be special," Porter told Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. "When an organization honors you like that, for me, I start going back and thinking now about my college days coming out of (Wisconsin) Stevens Point, getting drafted, having a professional team retire your jersey. And I have the trifecta now. I got high school, college and pro.

"I'm very excited, very moved because it all started (in Portland) and because that city really embraced me when I'm sure a lot of them were questioning, 'Stevens Point?' and didn't really know what was going to happen. I'm excited about being recognized, not only me but for the guys who played on that team. Clyde (Drexler) is the only other guy who has been retired, so it's nice to have somebody else on that team that's had some success and really helped that team achieve some things."

Porter, a 6-foot-3 point guard, played with the Blazers from 1985-1995 and averaged 14.9 points and 7.0 assists. A two-time All-Star, Porter remains the all-time assists leader (5,319) and second-leading scorer (11,330) in team history. He ranks third in games played (758) and second in minutes (23,978).

The team also will retire the No.30 jersey of Bob Gross, who was the starting small forward on the Blazers' 1977 NBA championship team. Gross will be honored on Dec.18, when Porter and the Suns visit the Rose Garden.

Portland's No.30 will become the third NBA jersey to be retired on behalf of multiple players. New York's No.15 honors Dick McGuire and Earl Monroe. Boston's No.18 hangs in honor of Dave Cowens, and was previously worn by Jim Loscutoff, who had asked that the number remain in use.

Second string, not second rate
When Greg Oden joined the Blazers' bench for Wednesday's game at Miami, he bolstered an already solid unit.

Through eight games, Blazers reserves are averaging 35.0 points, compared to 26.8 for the opponent. The Blazers' bench, which scored a season-high 47 points in Wednesday's win, has outscored the opponent in five games, having been outscored by the Lakers, Utah and Minnesota.

"I've always said, for us to do well, both units have to play well," coach Nate McMillan said.

Rudy Fernandez leads the reserves with a 15.4 scoring average, and Travis Outlaw is averaging 13.4 points in games when he comes off the bench.

Psychological warfare?
American Airlines Arena was void of any music, sound or video on the scoreboard when Oden came out and started warming up 90 minutes before the game. Whether it was coincidence or planned, shortly into Oden's warmup routine the video scoreboard came to life, and blaring out of the speakers was NBA commissioner David Stern's voice:

"With the first pick in the 2007 NBA draft, Greg Oden!"

What followed was an NBA-TV "Roundtable" special on Oden, which included his sitdown session with some of the greatest centers of all-time (Bill Walton, Bill Russell, David Robinson and Patrick Ewing among them). Oden never looked up at the screen, but several of his teammates did.

Was the timing and volume of the video presentation intended to psyche out Oden, or at least get in his head? Some on the Blazers' traveling staff wondered aloud.